Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

Equities research analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Separately, Noble Financial cut Lifeway Foods from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th.

Lifeway Foods Price Performance

Shares of LWAY stock traded down $1.00 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $22.39. 207,894 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 144,659. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $24.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.86. The company has a market cap of $331.15 million, a P/E ratio of 24.88 and a beta of 1.05. Lifeway Foods has a 12-month low of $9.93 and a 12-month high of $28.61.

Lifeway Foods (NASDAQ:LWAY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.08. Lifeway Foods had a return on equity of 21.92% and a net margin of 7.69%. The business had revenue of $49.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.21 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Lifeway Foods will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Ludmila Smolyansky sold 4,584 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.55, for a total value of $89,617.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,085,549 shares in the company, valued at $21,222,482.95. The trade was a 0.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Amy M. Feldman sold 12,948 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.57, for a total value of $240,444.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 18,104 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $336,191.28. The trade was a 41.70 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 38,078 shares of company stock valued at $707,786 over the last quarter. 18.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lifeway Foods

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LWAY. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Lifeway Foods by 71.2% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd acquired a new stake in Lifeway Foods during the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of Lifeway Foods by 2,334.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 4,868 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 4,668 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Lifeway Foods in the 2nd quarter worth $82,000. Finally, Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. bought a new position in Lifeway Foods during the third quarter worth about $212,000. 36.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lifeway Foods Company Profile

Lifeway Foods, Inc produces and markets probiotic-based products in the United States and internationally. Its primary product is drinkable kefir, a cultured dairy product in various organic and non-organic sizes, flavors, and types. The company offers European-style soft cheeses; cream and other products; ProBugs, a line of kefir products designed for children; drinkable yogurt; and fresh made butter and sour cream.